Does anyone remember the time that Snapchat declined Facebook’s offer to buy them for $3 billion? Yeah? Me, too. And so does Facebook, most likely, with the announcement today from Snapchat about its updates to the popular app.

It’s definitely a smart move for Snapchat, in my opinion. The video chatting feature may seem useless to my age demographic and older, but it may very well be heavily used by the younger generation— those prized 13-17 year olds. It’s quick, it’s a novelty, and it’s part of an app that they already love to use. That demographic is increasingly visual. They grew up with laptops, tablets, smartphones— all very visual, all very in your face. So it’s natural that they’re migrating to apps like Instagram and Snapchat, because a) their parents aren’t on them and b) they’re much more aesthetically pleasing. So now that they can message and video chat, I think it’s going to make the app that much stronger.

I read an article by The Verge that had a really in depth perspective of the whole situation from Snapchat’s point of view. Evan Spiegel, the Snapchat CEO, discussed his desire for messaging to stop being so disruptive and to be more instantaneous. When a person’s online/offline status is visible, Spiegel theorizes that it’s a more negative experience because if someone is online but hasn’t started up a conversation, it means they don’t have the desire to interact with you. With the Snapchat updates, you don’t know when a person is active in the app. You don’t know when they’ve read your message until they exit the conversation and the message disappears (although they did include a screenshot option for saving texts, which is smart for when people send addresses, phone numbers, or other important information). Video chatting is very quick with Snapchat, and very “in the moment” in Spiegel’s eyes.

It seems that Spiegel is looking at communication very differently than Facebook, Twitter, and the other leading social media platforms. If he’s successful in whatever it is he’s trying to do, it could really change the direction of social media. Brands have already been joining Snapchat in efforts to cultivate brand loyalty and distribute marketing materials such as coupons and deals (which is great because you can track exactly who opens your snap, and then furthermore, who takes a screenshot), and I think many more will follow as younger teens use Snapchat more frequently with the new features. I think that there is a lot happening right now, and I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner for social media marketing.

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I take photos and stuff.

There’s nothing like a mid-Missouri cruise down some back roads. And sometimes it’s necessary to capture the beauty.

Canon 5D mark ii, fisheye lens. This is one of my favorite places to go in mid-Mo.

While conducting an interview in one of my journalism classes two years ago, this family keepsake caught my eye. To this day, it is one of my favorite shots.

Many of my friends ask me to take professional pictures for them, and I really enjoy doing it. Taking photos of someone helps me get to know them better. To see someone through a camera lens is to take away all preconceptions and just showcase the beauty of the person standing before you.